Disclaimer idea number 1245: If this was all my idea, you'd be paying for it. You aren't. Do the math. Fizzy Pop, Inc. presents A story by }=]DarkNate Knowledge is Power Book Two: Know thy Self "Call my name and I'll be there. There's nothin' like the laughter that we share! Whenever you need someone, or a shoulder to lean on, Call my name and I'll be there. As this world turns us around, We hang on to what we found. A treasure we both need. I will go that extra mile To give you back that certain smile That you've given me!" -Call My Name, Jennifer Cihi (Sailor Moon US OST) Chapter 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Outside the Angel's body, Units Zero and Two were preparing for the salvage operation Dr. Akagi had devised. They were just about to drop the N2 mines into the Angel, when Asuka suddenly felt something in her mind. Almost like a voice. "This cannot end yet!" The scream echoed in her mind for almost a minute, but she didn't notice after she saw the Angel's body. As though an earthquake had struck it and it alone, the Angel's shadow-body was breaking apart in chunks of bloody red gore. The sphere in the sky was wobbling, threatening to break apart. She knew, right then, what the voice had meant, and felt a wave of relief crash through her. Unit One, like a demon from the bowels of Hell, plowed a fist through the surface of the orb. Ina macabre mockery of an egg hatching, the Purple Beast ripped the Angel apart in a fountain of blood and gore. As it landed on the ground, pieces of the Angel's shattered body shook and launched themselves into the air, coating the Eva and the city in a sheen of blood red that extended almost a half a kilometer in all directions. Asuka clutched her mouth, fighting the sudden nausea that washed over her. She fought to keep her stomach under control, but through her hands she whispered, "Mine Gott, is that what I'm piloting?" The Eva's jaws parted, the bolts that held its mouth closed shattering. It raised its head, and howled into the sky, which was still raining blood. Its cry, part mechanical, part animal, echoed around the city, into the shelters, and even down through the earth to Gendo Ikari's chair in the command bridge. And then, just as suddenly it slumped to its knees, and the entry plug shot out of its neck, the power systems totally drained. As the LCL jetted out, Asuka ran her Eva to Unit-01's side. She punched up her own eject, and was on the ground before the LCL had finished draining. Coughing the last of it from her lungs, she dashed over to the plug, now quiet. She rapidly worked the hatch, and ripped it open, in her hurry almost tearing her arms from their sockets. Gasping, she thrust her head into the plug, and found the still, frighteningly cold body of Shinji lying motionless in the chair, his skin as pale as Rei's. She jumped inside, and knelt down next to him. Grabbing his shoulders, she tried to ignore how cold he felt. She shook him gently, then harder, crying, "Shinji! Wake up! Shinji!!! SHINJI!!" Shinji's eyes fluttered slowly open, and Asuka sobbed with relief. He looked over at her, and also saw Rei and Misato on the other side of the hatch. He closed his eyes again, and just before the exhaustion overtook him, he whispered, "I couldn't leave without telling them..." Asuka pulled his head to her chest, crying softly as she rocked him gently in her arms. "You don't have to say it, Baka," she whispered. "I know..." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shinji woke hours later, all memories of his experience in the plug a blank as he lay, eyes closed. He remembered being pulled in, and seeing nothing but white light, but he couldn't remember the rest. He fidgeted restlessly, and almost sat up. "Don't worry, Shinji," Shizuka Kansatsusha's calming voice whispered soothingly in his mind. "I'll tell you all about it when we have the time. Right now, though, there are some people here who were very worried about you." Shinji opened his eyes slowly, and saw three blurry faces hovering over him. As his vision cleared, he managed to make out Asuka, Rei, and Misato. Asuka's face was puffy and streaked with tears, which showed she had been crying for a long time. Misato's was a bit better, more clear, although she too was weeping. Rei was smiling, and her cheeks were dry, though the corners of her eyes shimmered. "Hi guys," Shinji croaked, smiling crookedly. Asuka sniffled, and dropped her head to his chest, sobbing loudly. Shinji reached up with his free hand to gently stroke her head, and Misato took his free hand. "We missed ya, Shinji-kun!" she whispered with a smile. "Promise me you'll never do that again!" "Hai, Misato. I never want to do that again as long as I live." Shinji sat up a bit, shifting Asuka's weight a bit lower down so he could see Rei. She looked back at him, still smiling, but with a hint of despair to her features. "What's wrong, Rei?" Rei shrugged helplessly. "I have never felt this way before. I do not know how to act in a situation like this." Misato laughed a bit. "It's called relief. And in this case, I think it's okay to do whatever your heart tells you. Cry, laugh, smile, or whatever." Rei's face became damp as her tears began to flow as well, and she reached out to give Shinji a soft, friendly hug. "It is good to see you again, Shinji-kun." Asuka noticed Rei's touch, and lifted her head. "No hug for me, Asuka?" Shinji said with a smile. Asuka got to her feet. "Don't _EVER_ do that to me again, Shinji!" she yelled. "It's nice to see you again too, Asuka." Asuka froze. Shinji was smiling at her, the warmest, most trusting smile she had seen since... She didn't want to think about that. Not now. She dropped down to the side of his bed, and took his hand in hers. "Shinji, I-" "Shh." Shinji put a finger to her lips. "I know. You don't need to say anything." Asuka's face lit up, and she pulled him close for a deep, long kiss. When they stayed that way for a little bit, Misato put a hand on Rei's shoulder. "Let's leave them alone for a while." They left the room, leaving the two children to themselves. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shinji woke up again, and was startled to find himself in his room. He was even more startled, however, to find Asuka lying by his side, sound asleep. He sat up, and gently climbed over her to get out of the bed. He turned around, and his breath caught in his throat. Kami-sama, she was beautiful! He drank in the sight, and then slowly opened the door, and went to the bathroom. As he turned on the water for a long bath, he asked, "So what really happened in the Angel?" Shizuka's reply was tired sounding, as though his partner was in need of a long sleep after working for days straight. "Well, to put it simply, we were trapped in an alternate universe that was both infinite, and contained. Inside the Angel's body, there's another world. As far as you were concerned, the world went on forever. "The trick to escaping was getting you calm enough to realize that the infinite depths were only as large as you THOUGHT they were. But you wouldn't listen to me. Your mind was playing tricks on you, and you were being dragged into your subconscious. They call it sensory deprivation. "In the end, you blacked out, and Unit-01 went into berserker mode. It knew it could escape, and it did. It ripped the Angel up, and you were free." "But, what about the things I saw? I remember talking to a little boy, and a ghost... But, I don't remember what they said." "To sum it up: running from pain isn't the right idea. The trick is finding the path, no matter how hard and painful it may be, that will end in the greatest happiness. And you should always, ALWAYS, move forward. Never look back." "And Unit-01? Did it do any damage?" Shizuka sighed. "No. I got it back under control after a bit of a fight with it, and it powered down. Don't worry. Everything's fine. "Except, I don't think you enjoyed the experience, did you?" Shinji shook his head. "No. It makes me want to give up piloting again. I don't know if that's what I should do or not." "Well, I'll tell you something I shouldn't. You are needed, Shinji." Shizuka paused to let that sink in before continuing. "The girls, tough as they are, won't stand a chance against the next Angel. Only you can beat it, if you try." "But Asuka's so much better than me!" Shizuka sighed. "She has a higher SYNCH RATE! Synchronization isn't everything, you know. It's using everything you have, all your senses, reflexes, and instincts. Rei doesn't have the strength of spirit to put into piloting. She is weak, because her will is not strong enough. And Asuka thinks of the Eva as a giant puppet or doll. She FORCES it to move, sometimes against its will. You, on the other hand, think of your Eva as an extension of yourself, or a suit of armor. It moves WITH you, as a part of you. You are a team with it, and you play off each other's strengths. Asuka may be the better trained pilot, but YOU are a natural." Shinji was stunned. "You really mean that?" "Of course!" Shizuka's smile, though not visible, was quite tangible. "You're the best Pilot the human race can produce, and you damn well better not forget it!" Shinji smiled, and laughed. "I wonder what Asuka'd say to that?", he said aloud. "Say to what?" Shinji flinched, but realized Asuka had just come in from the other apartment. She had only caught the last bit of the conversation. "Umm... I was thinking of trying out a European dish for dinner tonight! How's spaghetti sound?" Asuka gave him a weird glance, but smiled and nodded. "Sure! That's one of my favorites!" Shinji let out a sigh of relief. "Great! I'll go get the supplies right now!" "I'll come with, Shinji-kun!" Asuka replied. "And we'd better make the sauce meatless, so Rei can have some!" "Good idea!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shinji was very happy as they walked to the store a few blocks away. He was back home, not a care in the world, with Asuka at his side. Life was really good! "What's got YOU so happy?" Asuka asked him, smiling. Shinji's smile dropped off his face, and he stopped humming mid-tune. "Oh, well, I... It's just good to be back, I guess. You know, being back here, with my friends and my family, as dysfunctional as it is." Asuka sniffed. "Does that make me your sister, or one of your friends?" Shinji blushed. "Rei is a sister. You're one of my closest friends." Asuka smiled. "Good." Shinji's smile returned, and he began to hum the little tune to himself. "What's that song you're humming?" Asuka asked. "It's called, 'Fly Me to the Moon.' My mother used to sing it, a long time ago..." "Oh. What happened to her?" Shinji hung his head. "I don't like talking about it." Asuka looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry." "It's all right," Shinji said, glancing over to her. They arrived at the store, and split up to gather their supplies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ When Shinji and Asuka arrived back at the house, Asuka led him in through the second apartment. She told him to wait for a minute, while she went check on something. Shinji, not quite sure what to do, put the groceries down on the table by the door and took off his shoes. "Okay, Shinji! Leave the stuff there and come over to the kitchen!" Asuka called. Shinji shuffled over to the door, and opened it. "SURPRISE!!" Shinji reeled back from the door, and fell on his butt, shocked. Kensuke, Touji, Hikari, Rei, Misato, Asuka, and Pen-Pen, were all sitting around the table, smiling broadly. A sign, reading, 'Welcome Home, Shinji!' hung above the table. "Come on in!" Misato laughed, beckoning him into the room. "This is just for you, Shinji." "Yeah, and she even bought us booze!" Kensuke chimed in. "Let's have some fun!" "A toast!" Touji added, raising a can of beer. "To the Invincible Shinji-sama!" "Hai! May he always be here when things get rough!" Asuka said, thrusting her can in the air, and tossing one to Shinji. "Kappai!" everyone yelled, and downed their drinks. Shinji gagged on the watery alcohol, but managed to get a good gulp down. Asuka threw an arm around him, and said, "Well, let's have a good time, Shinji-kun." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Later that evening, after everyone was plastered (and Hikari had spent an hour in the bathroom praying to the porcelain god, hehe) Touji, Kensuke, and Shinji were laying face up one the living room floor, now well into the philosophical phase of drunkenness. "Say, guess what I heard!" Kensuke said. "I give up," Touji replied. "Well, I bet Shinji heard about the explosion of Unit Four already, right?" "No, I didn't!" Shinji said, surprised. This was NOT the type of thing he had expected. "Well, I heard about it from my sources. It took the whole Second Branch with it too!" Touji just shrugged. "Okay, so what did you want to tell us?" "Well, I also heard that the US is sending over Unit Three in a few weeks or so. But, I haven't heard anything about a pilot yet." Misato had walked in to check on them, and overheard. "Well, Mr. Ida, you certainly do know everything! Unit Three's arrival is supposed to be Top Secret!" Kensuke grinned and straightened up, saluting. "I pride myself on my intelligence gathering skills, Major Katsuragi!" Misato smirked. "Well, you're right on target, as usual. So, let me guess..." "Kensuke interrupted her by dropping to his knees. "Please, let me test out as Pilot! Even if I don't make it, I just want a chance to try!" Misato turned up her nose. "Well, unfortunately, I don't choose the pilots, and I have no say in it. I suppose I could recommend you though..." "Domo Arigato, Misato-san!" Kensuke cried, bowing down to worship at her feet. Shinji, a bit concerned for his friend's sanity, left the room. As he rounded the corner to the kitchen, he caught a brief glimpse of Asuka, Rei, and Hikari sitting around the table, apparently playing a game. Ducking back out of sight, he peeked around the door and listened in. "Okay, Hikari, truth or dare?" Asuka was asking. "Umm, truth!" "How do you feel about Touji?" Hikari blushed visibly, and whispered, "I-I guess I like him." Asuka sighed. "Well, every stooge needs SOMEone to keep them in line, I suppose." Rei then lifted her head from the table. After a small hiccup, she turned to Asuka. "Truth or Dare?" Asuka grinned. "Dare!" Rei smiled, and giggled drunkenly. "Okay, here's one! Bring Shinji here, and he can play!" Asuka frowned. "Rei, this is a girl's game. You can't invite boys to play!" Rei shook her head. "A dare is a dare! And remember the penalty?" Asuka paled. "You wouldn't!" "I don't know," Rei replied, still intoxicated, "forcing you to wear plastic wrap clothes around the house for a day could be fun!" Hikari giggled. "Yeah! I bet Shinji'd loooove that!" Shinji blushed, and hurried back to the living room, and grabbed a seat. Kensuke, Touji, and Misato had passed out, and he grinned at them as they snored in something resembling harmony. "Shinji-kun!" Asuka called in her sweetest voice, "could you come here for a minute?" "Hai!" Shinji called back, suddenly sober. He walked in, and turned beet red. Asuka beckoned him forward, and had him sit down in one of the chairs. "Now, you're going to play Truth or Dare with us!" Asuka intoned. "The rules are simple: when you get asked, you reply truth or dare. If you pick truth, you have to answer the question honestly and completely. If you choose dare, you have to do whatever the dare entails, but no hentai stuff. If you don't do the dare, or lie on a question, you have to walk around the apartment in plastic wrap for a day." Shinji gulped nervously. "What if I refuse to play?" "Then we force you to wear the wrap." Rei giggled. Shinji could tell she had gotten VERY drunk. She was starting to act like Asuka!! "Fine. I'm in." Hikari blinked in confusion for a moment, then shot a smug grin at Asuka. "Okay, it's my turn, and I get to ask you, Shinji. Truth or Dare?" "Umm... truth?" Shinji sincerely hoped it wouldn't be a harsh question, or an embarrasing one. Shizuka, in his mind, laughed. "Stop worrying and play along!" the guide said. "They'll be too hung-over to remember anything anyway." Hikari asked her question. "Have you ever done anything... intimate... with a girl?" Shinji was able to hide the hint of blush well. "Only once. I tripped on my way out of the hot springs after the Eighth Angel, and landed on Asuka." Hikari pouted. "That doesn't count. Besides, we already heard that one from Asuka. Damn, wasted question." Then, she turned to Asuka. "Is it his turn now, or yours?" "Mine. He goes after me." The redhead turned to Rei. "Alright Rei, pick your poison." Rei's head lifted off the table, and she blinked. "Hm? Oh, it is my turn already? I choose dare." Asuka's grin spread to her ears. "Kiss Shinji." Shinji and Rei both recoiled. "What!?" Asuka nodded. "Kiss 'im. Unless, you'd rather wear the wrap..?" Rei shook her head, then stood up. She tried to walk around the table, but she stumbled and fell to one side. Shinji noticed just in time to catch her. "Are you okay, Rei-chan?" he asked. "H-hai. Arigato." She then reached up, and pulled him in for the kiss. It didn't last long, only about two seconds. Then, Rei got to her feet, and sat back down at her place. Shinji, still a bit stunned at how good that kiss had been, hesitated a moment, then sat down as well. Asuka 'humph'ed, and turned to Shinji. "Your turn, Baka-kun." Shinji flinched at the 'baka', but then had a devious idea. "Okay then, do I get to ask anyone?" "Yes, but never more than once in a row." Rei put her head back down, and began to snore quietly as she slipped into a drunken stupor. Shinji turned to Asuka, prepared to give her a dose of her own medicine, no matter what she chose. "Okay, Asuka, what'll it be?" Asuka tossed her hair, and in an offhanded manner, said, "Dare." "Alright then, here it is:" he leaned in close, and said in his most evil Gendo-voice. "You have to kiss Rei. On the lips. For at least five seconds." Asuka paled. She hadn't expected that one. As she gathered her courage, Shizuka whispered to Shinji, "Was that a good idea? I'm not too sure about this..." Shinji sent back, "Like you said, they're drunk. They'll have no idea." Asuka leaned over, gently shook Rei awake, and pulled her in. Rei took it in stride, and kissed back. Shinji burst out laughing as Asuka pulled away, and downed a bottle of mouthwash. The rest of the night was a blissful blur. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The next morning, Shinji woke up in the bathroom, in front of the toilet. Groggily, he asked what had happened last night. "You were a hoot!" Shizuka replied with a laugh. "I'll replay it for you after you're more awake." Shinji washed his face, and rinsed his mouth out with a half-empty bottle of mouthwash. Stepping out of the bathroom, he found Misato sprawled on the floor, hair a mess and beer cans all around her. Two depressions in the pillows indicated Touji and Kensuke had been there. Shinji found them passed out in the kitchen, clutching their drinks. Looking around for the others, he found Hikari on the couch in Asuka and Rei's half of the apartment. She looked fine, so he moved on. Rei was sleeping in much the same manner Shinji had, hunched over the toilet. Fortunately, it had been repaired a week ago. At last, he found Asuka in her room, lying fully clothed on top of her sheets. She looked quite peaceful, and he couldn't resist a smile. She stirred, and opened her eyes. Spotting him by the door, she sat up quickly, moving to cover herself even though she was fully dressed. "Whu?" she moaned. Shinji shushed her, and helped her stand up. "Someone had a bit too much to drink last night," he whispered in her ear, and gently helped her to the bathroom that wasn't occupied. "I'll leave you here, and get one of my hangover remedy teas brewing." He closed the door behind him, and sighed. By the time he had the teapot going, Asuka had finished. She plunked down in the nearest chair, and put her head on the table. "Gott!" she moaned, "Now I see why Misato is so weird in the morning. Hangovers suck!" Shinji tried to nod, but that hurt his neck for some reason. "Yeah. But, this ALWAYS sobers up Misato, so it's worth a shot." He put two cups down on the table, and poured the tea. Asuka picked hers up, blew on it, and took a sip. "Bleah!" she sat bolt upright, recoiling from the glass. "What's IN this?!" Shinji grinned, and took a sip of his. "Actually, its coffee grounds, green tea, and lemon. The taste will make even the worst alcoholic sober in ten seconds flat, or at least purge the beer right out of them!" He cringed, and took a solid hit off his cup. Slamming it down, he grabbed a glass of water nearby and downed it. "Invented it myself after Misato woke up late for a meeting and blamed me. She's never had another morning hangover." Asuka was staring at him. "And you just swallowed a whole mouthful of it?!" "Well, yeah. I strain all the solids out of it before it goes in the pot. It has to sit overnight in the fridge to let the coffee grounds dissolve. Then, you strain the liquid out, boil it and drink." Asuka gave a sigh of relief. "Well, as long as I'm not drinking little bits of things..." She too, drank a large swig, and grabbed the glass of water Shinji held out to her. "I think I better get another batch ready," Shinji said to no one in particular, as moans drifted in from the other rooms, and from Kensuke and Touji on the floor. Touji was the next to wake up, and he downed the whole glass Shinji gave him without thinking. Clutching his throat and gagging, he swallowed two glasses of water, to the laughter of Asuka. This awoke Kensuke, who showed more restraint in his taking of the tea. He only had a small sip, but that seemed to be enough, as he whipped out his camera to tape Touji's twitching as he coped with the offending tea. Misato wandered in next, and slammed back a whole glass of the tea without flinching. Then, without any water at all, she took a second glass of tea and drank it as well. Everyone but Shinji stared in awe at her. "What?" she asked with a giggle. "Is there something on my face?" Asuka pointed a shaking finger at her. "Y-y-you just drank TWO glasses of that shit?!?!" "Actually, she normally needs three," Shinji said, as Misato smiled smugly. Asuka just gaped, and took another sip of tea, wincing at the bitter, sour taste. Rei and Hikari came in together, holding each other up. Rei took a small sip of the tea, and bolted for the bathroom. Hikari just waved her glass away. "Anything I drink now is coming right back up. Urggggg, my head..." Rei came back a few minutes later, apparently not having to throw up after all. Pen-pen wandered in, took one look at the state of the guests, and shook his head. "Wuagh," he said, and went back to his fridge. Misato grinned. "I think he was making fun of us. He drank more than me last night." Kensuke gasped, and rapidly rewound his camera. "You're right, he did!" He displayed his footage of the warm-water penguin downing a can of beer. Shinji yawned. "He usually does, Misato. And that reminds me, his liquor draw is empty." Misato shrugged. "I'll get him some more this afternoon. I have some things to pick up anyway." Hikari, now feeling a bit better, took a sip of her tea, and made a face. "You call this tea, Shinji?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A few days later, Shinji, Rei and Asuka went through their normal morning routine of get up, wash, dress, eat. Shinji packed their lunches, and they left the apartments at their normal time, 7:42 on the dot. Shinji led the way, with Asuka and Rei behind him and to his left about four paces. S A R With almost mechanical precision, they met Touji at his street just as he turned the corner at 7:45. He fell into step to Shinji's right, a half-step behind him. S T A R Kensuke had already reached his corner when they came into view of it at 7:48. He checked his watch, adjusted it back one minute, and took his place directly to Touji's right, in line with Shinji. S K T A R At 7:51, with precisely nine minutes before the start of homeroom, they entered the school grounds, still in their usual formation. Several students standing in the courtyard checked their watches, and a few we disgusted to find they were off. At the shoe lockers, the formation broke apart into separate units as each student went to his or her assigned place and retrieved their school shoes. Then, they returned to formation in perfect order, just as Shinji slid the door open. Arriving in class at exactly 7:55 am, Shinji glanced at the clock. He smiled and thought, "It's right on time." He moved to his seat, and the others sat with him in precise synchronization, still in their formation, with Rei and Asuka one row to his left and two seats to the rear. Touji was behind him and to his right one seat, and Kensuke was directly in line one row to his right. Hikari took her seat, and the group was complete. S K T A H R Shizuka sighed. "Do you have to do that EVERY DAY?!" Shinji smirked. "Yeah. It drives people nuts, and Rei LOVES it! Asuka's even starting to enjoy it, and of course Kensuke'll do anything that involves military precision and parade-ground formations. I think Touji's the only one who objects, and he hasn't said a word about it." "Yeah, but for five days in a ROW? You're going to be in trouble if you ever show up at the wrong time." "That's why I have an alarm clock." The teacher began his lesson, and Shinji did his best to pay attention as the old man droned on for the next three hours. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ At lunch, Shinji, Touji, and Kensuke were on the roof, as usual, eating their lunches. As Touji--the last one to finish--packed away the rather large box he had gotten from Hikari, Shinji stood up. Leaning against the railing, he looked out over the terrain, viewing the city like a giant. "You know, things look pretty nice from up here, when the Angels aren't tearing it up." Kensuke nodded, and joined him at the rail. "Yeah, but I'd bet that the view from an Eva during a fight is pretty awe inspiring too!" Shinji sighed. "Is suppose it might be, at that." Touji brushed off his pants. "Well, I for one would love nothing better than to never be in a cockpit ever again! That fight against the Fourth was enough to last me a lifetime." Shizuka abruptly stole Shinji's voice away. "Who knows, they might pick you as the Fourth Child over Kensuke!" Touji gave him a look. "No way! They couldn't afford the salary, and besides, Otaku boy is way better material." Shizuka shook Shinji's head. "Not necessarily. Look at me! I'm the LAST kind of person who'd want to do this." "And you're damn good too!" Kensuke chimed in. Shizuka returned control to Shinji, who for once managed not to stumble. Just then, a call came over the PA. "Will Touji Suzuhara please report to the principal's office?" Touji, Kensuke, and Shinji all stared at each other. "What'd you do?" Kensuke asked. "I dunno! I haven't done anything since Hikari broke up our photo racket last month!" Touji descended the steps at a quick pace, and disappeared. A few minutes passed, and another page came. "Will Kensuke Aida please report to the principal's office?" Kensuke shrugged. "Must be something important!" He too, left. Shizuka, inside Shinji's head, thought, "I wonder what's up? Kensuke hasn't done anything lately." "What do you think Touji got called for?" Shinji asked. Shizuka's reply was cryptic. "A change in his sister's condition, at great personal cost for him." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ When Shinji went home that afternoon, neither Kensuke nor Touji had come back to class. He assumed they were still in the office, talking. As he and Asuka and Rei opened the door to the apartments, they spotted two things. First, Kaji's shoes were in the entryway. Second, Misato's overnight bag was just inside the door. Misato met them just inside. "I'm going to Matsushiro. I'll be gone at least overnight, so Kaji volunteered to keep an eye on you guys while I'm out. Behave, and make sure you feed Pen-Pen." "You're going to activate Unit Three, aren't you?" Shinji asked. Misato nodded, a pained look on her face. "Yes, we are." "Are any of us going with?" Shizuka asked, suddenly taking over. "In case it goes berserk or something? It could be dangerous without a pilot." "The pilot has been selected." "Who? Anyone we know?" Misato was about to answer, but Kaji chose that moment to barge in. "Hey, Katsuragi-chan! Want a farewell drink?" Misato heaved a sigh. "No. I'm leaving now. Goodbye, everyone! See ya soon!" She keyed the door, and left. Shinji felt control return slowly to him. Shinji glanced at Asuka, who was looking a bit dismayed. "Something wrong, Asuka-chan?" Asuka shook her head, and smiled. "No, nothing. Say, how about a snack?" Shinji nodded, and began setting out the chips and dip on the coffee table. As he worked, he asked Shizuka, "What brought that on?" "You see, the pilot is going to be another kid your age. I wanted to see if she'd tell you who it was. Obviously, she didn't." "Okay, point for you," Shinji replied. "But what about it going berserk?" "Well, let's just say things won't go as planned tomorrow. Misato will be fine, though, so don't worry. Everyone will survive. It's just a minor mishap." Shinji sighed. "I hope you're right." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ That had been ten hours ago. Now, Shinji's Eva was standing in the middle of the mountains, waiting for the Thirteenth Angel to come to him, or be stopped by Asuka or Rei. The waiting was getting to him. "Damn it, they SHOULD have sent one of us along!" He grumbled into his comm. Asuka noted his distress, and replied back testily, "Shut up! We've got to concentrate!" Shinji grumble d privately for a little more, then thought aloud. "You know, if Unit Three is really out there, then its Pilot is still in it, right? Who could it be?" Asuka growled. "Baka! The Pilot of Unit Three is--" The rest was static, as her Eva switched all power to combat systems. Shinji immediately yelled at Shizuka. "Don't just sit there! DO SOMETHING!!" "I CAN'T!!" Shizuka yelled back, so forcefully, Shinji reeled from the psychic force. "If I leave now, you're going to be in serious trouble. As your Guardian, I cannot do that. We have to wait for the Angel to get to us, or pray one of the others can stop it safely." Shinji muttered a curse against all disembodied voices, then heard a muffled scream over the tacnet as the Angel engaged Rei. "Dammit! I should be helping, not sitting around!" "You will hold your position, Unit One!" Commander Ikari's cold voice sounded in the plug like a wrathful demi-god. Shinji frowned but remained where he was. He didn't have much longer to wait before something happened. "Shinji, I want you to listen, and listen VERY closely," Shizuka said urgently. "The Angel is going to come over the hill any minute now. Whatever you do, you HAVE to fight it. The first thing you do is get the entry plug out, and stash it somewhere. Then, you rip Unit Three apart until it stops moving. If you do not do this, your father will destroy Unit Three and its pilot along with it. If the pilot is to survive, you MUST FIGHT!" Shinji nodded, steeling himself. Then, the Production Model Evangelion, Designation Unit-03, rounded the mountain, and its ugly face split open in a roar. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shinji didn't wait for it to notice him. He was in its rear arc, and the plug was wide open. He lunged the Eva forward, and grabbed the white cylinder. With a twist, he ripped it free, and leapt back as the Angel came around in a swift backhanded punch. Shinji dropped the plug on the hillside and lunged away from it to keep the Angel from smashing it. "Pilot Ikari, you will completely destroy the target." His father's voice was angry. Good. "Yes, sir. I will immobilize the target as ordered." Then he cut the radio feed. Suddenly getting an idea, he plunged his Eva's fist into the enemy's belly, and gripped the blood red orb he somehow knew he'd find. Squeezing it tightly, he wrenched backward, the Eva's whole body being used to exert the pull. The S2 organ popped free in a squelch of red blood, and the Eva froze. Slowly, it fell to the ground, silent. Shinji gripped the sphere in his hand, then crushed it into powder. His radio came alive. "You were ordered to destroy the target! Explain yourself!" "I did destroy the target. My target was the Angel, and I know that the Core of the Angel is what keeps it alive. Without that, it is destroyed. But, NERV can always use the extra help of another Eva, right?" Silence, then, "Very well. You have performed beyond expectations." Shinji cut the radio again, and looked out over the scene. He heard a voice over his local net, and recognized it. "Misato?" The paramedics had reached the entry plug, and were opening it up. Shinji watched intently as the hatch opened. "Shinji, thank Kami you're okay!" Misato sounded frightened, and very weak. "Listen, the Pilot of Unit three is-" The paramedics dragged out the body. At this distance, Shinji couldn't tell if the pilot was alive or dead, but he did his best to see, increasing the magnification. Shinji cut Misato off as he recognized the prone body in its black and blue plugsuit. "Kensuke. Kensuke is the pilot." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Author's Notes Time! Wheeeee! Ohmmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod! The pilot isn't Touji! Who woulda thunk, Kensuke as a real Pilot?! It's almost creepy! Sorry about the cliff-hanger, but I haven't decided whether to actually keep him alive or not. To be honest, I always thought he should have had the chance. The poor kid grew up loving the military, and his opportunity to get introduced to the real horror of war missed him. It would have made for some interesting plot, to see how he dealt with the truth of his dreams. So, here he is. By the way, we'll see what happened to Touji early in the next book, so no worries! Oh, and that party scene... As we have never seen anyone in Eva drunk other than Misato, I decided to make Rei a giggly drunk. It was so totally opposite to her normal self the comedy was too good to pass up. I thought it suited her. If you didn't like it, write your own damn books! By the way, the song quote for this chapter is to reflect the bonds that have grown between the main characters, and the last of their happy times together. It's all down-hill from here, after all. Ah well. At least there's a start to this series now. I can't wait to finish the next book, it's gonna be awesome. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ And now, the part you've all been waiting for, the OMAKE: Asuka 'humph'ed, and turned to Shinji. "Your turn, Baka-kun." Shinji flinched at the 'baka', but then had a devious idea. "Okay then, do I get to ask anyone?" "Yes, but never more than once in a row." Rei put her head back down, and began to snore quietly as she slipped into a drunken stupor. Shinji turned to Asuka, prepared to give her a dose of her own medicine, no matter what she chose. "Okay, Asuka, what'll it be?" Asuka tossed her hair, and in an offhanded manner, said, "Dare." "Alright then, here it is:" he leaned in close, and said in his most evil Gendo-voice. "You have to kiss Rei. French kiss, of course, for a full minute. And you have to make it look like you're enjoying it." Asuka turned beet red. "No way!" "Then strip down, and we'll give you your new wardrobe!" Asuka growled, then turned to Rei. The pale girl was half-asleep, but perked up when Asuka brought their lips together. At first, nothing happened. Then, Asuka started flicking her tongue into Rei's mouth. Rei returned the favor, and soon they were embracing passionately, rubbing against each other and moving their hands to... intimate... places. Shinji smiled. "I knew she was bi! I knew it!" Asuka swiftly separated his head from his shoulders with a cleaver. Then, she smiled at Rei. "Wanna go back to my room and screw?" Shizuka looked around at the bloody mess, and sighed. "Once again, back to the drawing board!"
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